Barony

Barony, a roguelike from 2015, is not a typical graphics showcase, but the data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Intel Arc B570 combo reveals a component pairing that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings. The benchmark results show a system capable of delivering high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but one that becomes increasingly CPU-bound as the resolution drops, and GPU-bound at 4K with high visual fidelity. The overall combo rank of 2344 out of 2935 tested combinations indicates a below-average standing for this specific pairing in this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally powerful, with the Low preset achieving an average of 245 FPS and the High preset reaching 156 FPS. The Medium preset sits comfortably between these at 182 FPS. The Ultra preset, while still playable at 112 FPS, shows a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality. For 1080p, the High preset at 156 FPS offers an excellent balance, delivering a smooth and responsive experience that far exceeds the demands of a roguelike, while still providing a substantial visual upgrade over the Low preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance landscape shifts. The Low preset still provides a very high 154 FPS, and High settings maintain an excellent 99 FPS. The Medium preset at 115 FPS is also a strong contender. The Ultra preset drops to 71 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 28% reduction from the High preset's 99 FPS. The data suggests that at 1440p, the High preset is the optimal choice, as it provides a fluid experience with a significant visual uplift over Medium. The 71 FPS at Ultra may be acceptable for some, but the High preset's 99 FPS offers a more comfortable margin for maintaining a high refresh rate.

At the demanding resolution of 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. The Low preset achieves an average of 81 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset drops to 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS, indicating potential for noticeable stutter. High settings yield 52 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS. For a 4K experience, the Low preset is the only one that consistently provides a frame rate above 60 FPS. However, the Medium preset, with its 60 FPS average, is the highest quality setting that remains technically playable, though users may experience dips below 60 FPS in busier scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 4K should be avoided if smooth gameplay is a priority.

The best experience per the measured rows is found at 1920x1080 with High settings, delivering 156 FPS. This combines a high frame rate with better visual fidelity than Low or Medium, and it avoids the significant performance penalty of Ultra. At 2560x1440, High remains the sweet spot at 99 FPS. For 4K, users must compromise significantly, with Low at 81 FPS being the only preset to maintain a comfortable frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 245, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Barony?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, it averages 81 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets drop to 52 FPS and 37 FPS, respectively, indicating they are not ideal for smooth 4K play.

Q: How does the performance at 1440p compare to 1080p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS is significantly lower than at 1920x1080 for the same settings. For example, High settings drop from 156 FPS at 1080p to 99 FPS at 1440p, and Low settings drop from 245 FPS to 154 FPS.

Q: What is the performance impact of the Ultra preset?

A: The Ultra preset is demanding. At 1920x1080, it reduces the average FPS to 112, a 28% drop compared to the High preset's 156 FPS. At 2560x1440, it falls to 71 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it drops to 37 FPS.

Q: Which preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080, with an average of 156 FPS, offers the best balance. It provides a high frame rate that is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay while offering better visual fidelity than the Low or Medium presets.

Q: Is the benchmark data for this combo measured or estimated?

A: The data is measured, as indicated by the "dataIsMeasured" field being true.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This is a high-end desktop CPU with a 125W TDP. In a game like Barony, which is a roguelike and likely not heavily multi-threaded, the high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is more relevant than the sheer number of cores. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU has significant headroom in this title, as frame rates at 1080p are exceptionally high, suggesting the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The CPU's performance is reflected in its benchmarks, where it scores 44253 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2439 in single-core. Its Passmark single-thread score is 5068, and its multithread score is 68574. These scores place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is one of the more powerful processors available. In the context of Barony, this processing power means the CPU can easily handle the game's logic, AI, and physics calculations, allowing the GPU to be the primary determinant of frame rate, especially at higher resolutions. The fact that performance drops significantly from 1080p to 1440p and 4K, while the CPU remains constant, confirms that the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

The data suggests that the CPU's role in this specific game is to provide a high-performance foundation that does not constrain the GPU. At 1080p, the system achieves 245 FPS on Low settings, which is far beyond what most displays can show, indicating the CPU is more than capable. The processor's 36 MB of L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s help ensure that data can flow to the GPU quickly, preventing stutters. However, the game's relatively simple graphics compared to modern AAA titles mean that the CPU's vast parallel processing capabilities are not fully utilized, with the single-thread performance and high clock speed being the most critical factors for maintaining high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Intel Arc B570 is ranked 2344 out of 2935 tested combos in Barony. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested configurations, which is a surprisingly low ranking given the individual component specifications. This suggests that while the CPU is very powerful, and the GPU is a competent mid-range card, their pairing is not optimal for this specific title. The Intel Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534, a delta of 0.1%. This GPU is not a top-tier performer, and it appears to be the limiting factor in this combo's ranking.

The CPU, on the other hand, is a top-tier performer, with an average benchmark score of 93785, placing it in the 96th percentile. Its nearest rival is the Intel Xeon 6520P, which scores 93786, a negligible delta of 0%. The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the combo's low rank highlights that the GPU is holding back the overall performance in Barony. The game likely places a higher demand on the GPU than the CPU, especially at higher resolutions, and the Arc B570's performance at 4K, with High settings yielding only 52 FPS, confirms this.

The low rank suggests that many other CPU/GPU combinations deliver better frame rates in this game. This could be due to the Intel Arc B570's driver maturity or its architectural efficiency in this particular game. While the CPU is more than capable, the GPU's mid-range standing limits the combo's overall performance, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the GPU is the bottleneck. Gamers using this combo should expect performance that is below average compared to other systems, but the high 1080p frame rates mean it is still a very playable setup for most users.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend: performance decreases as resolution increases across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 245 at 1920x1080 to 154 at 2560x1440, and then to 81 at 3840x2160. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. For High settings, the FPS drops from 156 at 1080p to 99 at 1440p (a 37% drop) and then to 52 at 4K (a 47% drop). This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant performance hit, which is typical as the number of pixels increases by 78%. The scaling from 1440p to 4K, which represents a further 125% increase in pixels, results in a similar percentage drop in FPS. This suggests that the Intel Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated at higher resolutions. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are also likely limiting factors at 4K.

The data strongly indicates that the system is CPU-bound at 1080p and GPU-bound at 4K. At 1080p, the high FPS values (up to 245) suggest the CPU is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them, but the GPU is still able to keep up. At 1440p, the GPU becomes more of a bottleneck, and at 4K, it is clearly the limiting component, as the FPS drops to levels that suggest the GPU is working at maximum capacity. The fact that the FPS drop from 1440p to 4K is similar in percentage to the drop from 1080p to 1440p indicates a consistent GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions, with the CPU having little influence on the final frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table breaks down the exact measured average FPS values for each resolution and settings combination. The data shows a consistent performance hierarchy, with Low settings always providing the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, High, and then Ultra.

1920x1080:

• Low: 245 FPS average.
• Medium: 182 FPS average, with a minimum of 155 FPS and a maximum of 209 FPS.
• High: 156 FPS average.
• Ultra: 112 FPS average.

At 1080p, the system is exceptionally fast, with even the Ultra preset providing over 100 FPS. The Medium preset's measured range of 155-209 FPS shows good frame time consistency.

2560x1440:

• Low: 154 FPS average.
• Medium: 115 FPS average, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 132 FPS.
• High: 99 FPS average.
• Ultra: 71 FPS average.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset drops below 100 FPS, but the High preset remains above 90 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 98 FPS indicates the system is still capable of maintaining near-100 FPS in most scenes.

3840x2160:

• Low: 81 FPS average.
• Medium: 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS.
• High: 52 FPS average.
• Ultra: 37 FPS average.

At 4K, only the Low preset provides a consistently smooth experience above 60 FPS. The Medium preset is borderline playable with a 60 FPS average, but the 51 FPS minimum suggests it will not maintain a locked 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for 4K play, as they fall well below the 60 FPS target. This data confirms that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting factor at 4K, struggling to maintain high frame rates with demanding settings.